CHURCHILL WANTS A PORT AUTHORITY

Posted on 09/23/2016

The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees is appealing to the federal government and Transport Minister Marc Garneau to create a port authority in Churchill. The union said that Canada’s only deep-water port could be a perfect defending sovereignty and increasing tourism.

The Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Rail line infrastructure was constructed in the 1930s for the importing and exporting of goods and supplies. It was considered appropriate for Canada’s defense and sovereignty.
In 1997 the Canadian government sold the port to OmniTRAX owned by The Broe Group and headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
After a poor year for shipments OmniTRAX announced this summer that they were closing the port. About one in 10 Churchill residents (population 750) works at the port at some point during the year.
The arrival of the Crystal Serenity to Cambridge Bay Nunavut has residents hopeful about tourism in the Arctic.
They suggest that Churchill is an ideal location for the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Navy as they are dealing with new issues of sovereignty and safety in the north.
The UCTE says the creation of a port authority similar to those in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Saguenay, Quebec, could create a modern and viable facility.
"Now is the time to act. With hard work and a united effort behind the creation of a Churchill Port Authority, we believe that the structure and operations could be ready and in place for a 2017 shipping season," states a news release from the UCTE.
With reference to Crystal Serenity, a release stated, "The Port of Churchill is the ideal port for these ships and vessels, thereby enhancing tourism activities already underway in this region."
Churchill Mayor Mike Spence has recently asked the federal government to reclaim ownership of the port and do upgrades.
Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, the Winnipeg South Centre MP who is working on the Churchill file, responded that the federal government is looking at options for the port.